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3528232
Lance Corporal
Charles George Blease
Born 1917/11/28, Salford, Lancashire
Son of Charles and Sarah E (nee Prestwich) Blease
Mother Sarah died 1919 at Salford
Grandson of Charles George and Isabella
The photo is of Charles and a possibility the lady is Aunt Isabella
Charles occupation was a Rivetter
1935/10/23 - Enlisted
Charles put his year of birth as 1916
Next of Kin:- C G & I Blease, 74 Buckingham Street, Salford, Lancashire
Manchester Regiment
1st Battalion
Service
At the outbreak of the Second World War the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment were assigned to a beach defense role, which entailed setting up of Machine gun posts, searchlights and ant-ship, and landing craft obstacles.
In November 1937 the battalion had become a machine gun unit and in January 1938 with a strength of 980 officers and men the 1st Battalion were transported to Palestine as Jewish Community protectorates. They were housed in Tiberius at ‘The Central’ and ‘Elizabethan’ Hotels. A B C and D companies occupied trouble spots at Mielia, Safad, Sarafand Jerusalem and along the Jordan border
Under orders on 4th October 1938, the 1st Battalion sailed in the ‘Dilwara’ for the Far East and Singapore. At Port Suez they had a few days in the Western Desert while peace talks took place between Chamberlain and Adolph Hitler. Then back on the ship, arriving in Singapore on the 20th October 1938. As part of the 2nd Malaya Infantry Brigade, they saw action during the Japanese invasion of Singapore island in February 1942.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese.
1942/03/27 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 777. Reported ‘Missing’.
1944/02/12 - WO417/71, Casualty List No. 1367. Previously posted Missing. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese Prisoner of War
1942/08/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi Camp
PoW No. M7340
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/11/05 - Transported overland to Thailand with Letter Party ‘M’, train 12
30th train to Thailand with 650 PoWs
Commander Lt-Col. D.E Swinton, 2nd East Surrey Regiment
Attached to group 2
New PoW No. 23620
Camps on the railway:-
1942/10/12 - Nong Pladuk
1943/07/08 - Arrow Hill, 109km from Nong Pladuk
1943/10/ - Lines from Burma and Thailand joined
1943/11/ - Back to Nong Pladuk
1944/09/ - Tha Khanun, 220km from Nong Pladuk
Back to Nong Pladuk
1945/02 - Ubon
New PoW No. 3077
1945/08/30 - Liberated Ubon, Thailand
Flown from Bankok to Rangoon
Liberation Questionnaire
Ship to the UK
1945/10/30 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1897. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1367 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
Died
Age 28
8th May 1946
Died in a motorcycle accident
Charles was still under active service with the 1st Manchester Regiment.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Palestine Clasp
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1950/01/12 - WO100/504, Rank of Drummer. Awarded ‘Palestine Clasp’.
Information
Kim Blease - Granddaughter
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Malaya and Singapore
Japanese Transports
Thailand-Burma Railway
Ubon Camp - Ray Withnall
Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW
KEW Files:- WO 361/2069, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2058, WO 361/2165, WO 392/23, WO 345/5, WO 361/1979, WO 361/1954, WO 361/2196,
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